


and saw that it was good

by poisonrationalitie



Category: Counting On (TV) RPF
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Femslash February, Religious Guilt, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:07:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29230488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonrationalitie/pseuds/poisonrationalitie
Summary: pride is a sin."i'm proud of you."
Relationships: Jana Duggar/Laura DeMaisie
Kudos: 3





	and saw that it was good

**Author's Note:**

> A little Jana/Laura (Jaura? Lana? DugMaisie? DeMuggar?) drabble for Day 2 of Femslash February. Yes, I'm playing catch-up.
> 
> Prompt is 'pride'.

Pride is a sin. An easy one to remember. One of the seven most important. You must not be boastful, you must not be proud. Even when others compliment you, you must brush it away, because you are a sinner and will go to Hell if God doesn’t extend his grace to you. Because you are nothing without Him. You are nothing.

It instils a thirst for satisfaction, for approval, and Jana has seen the lengths her sisters (and sisters-in-law) will go to try to quench it (it never works). Marry young, to please your father, and then be a good bride, to please your husband, and stay quiet and humble and never celebrate your servant’s heart for your entire life, to please God. Jana has not married and has not pleased anyone with that, and so she’s probably already damned. A bit of pride won’t make too much difference.

So she allows herself to smile as she wipes her dusty, dirty hands on her skirt, admiring her handiwork. She’s done it just as well as the boys, and quicker, too, because she lacks a tendency to break into song or to toss the instructions in the trash before starting. God has pride, she reasons. How many times does the Bible say that God did something, _and_ saw that it was good? She’s not created the world or a person but she has done good in this.

Laura sets her tools down and crosses the room, smiling. Warmth blooms in Jana’s chest.

“It looks great,” Laura tells her. _It was nothing, really._ The words come unbidden to her lips and she turns them away at the last moment. It was something. It was a day’s work.

“Thank you,” she says instead, and the warmth rushes from her chest to her cheeks. Is it rude, just to thank someone for a compliment? It’s not humble, it’s not sweet, but is it rude? It’s the sort of thing Jessa might say. She pinches her tongue between her front teeth. Hm.

Laura drapes her arm over Jana’s shoulders, and they press their heads together. Jana closes her eyes, relaxing into the hug.

“Are you happy with it?” Laura asks, probing. Jana hums, regarding her work once more. Sometimes the hardest part of making something is when it’s finished. She can’t help but find the flaws in it, any messes, any places that could’ve been sanded back just a _bit_ further, any joins that could’ve been a _tad_ neater. She’s getting better at this sort of work, though – there’s not nearly as many mistakes as last time. _I still hate it,_ she thinks. _God created all of us perfectly and I can’t make a decent dining set._ Laura’s still smiling at her. Like she knows what Jana will say. Their eyes meet. Laura raises one brow. Jana swallows, steadies herself, holds Laura tighter.

“Yes. Yes, I’m happy with it,” she manages. Laura laughs, and Jana fixes her with the sort of look she gave the little girls when they misbehaved in church.

“No,” Laura amends. “I just…didn’t expect you to say that.” Jana’s stomach plummets.

“Oh.”

“ _No,_ ” Laura says again. “It’s good. You’ve done a good job. I’m proud of you.”

With a cursory glance to the door, they hug.


End file.
